Singer Aditya Narayan spoke about his first step in television when he hosted the singing reality show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa at the age of 18. He said that he was paid ₹7,500 per episode then. He is currently hosting the reality show Indian Idol 12. He also said that he would love to be known as 'a struggling musician rather than a successful TV personality'.Calling music his first love, he continued that he has enough resources and doesn't need to rely on music labels, 'or their rubbish contracts'. He added that since he has 'become a big television host now', people have forgotten that he is a singer also.

Speaking with Bollywood Life, Aditya Narayan said, "When I first set my foot in the world of television by hosting Sa Re Ga Ma Pa at the age of 18, I was being paid ₹7,500 per episode. It used to be a huge amount for me at that time. So now when they come to me and offer in crores, it pains me to say no to them...You can say that I did TV for all these years so that I can launch my own music label, make my own music videos and sing them as well. I have reached a point in my life where I would love to be known as a struggling musician rather than a successful TV personality. Call me a struggler, a failure, work in progress or underrated, but I would love people to add the word singer or musician along with it."

The television industry has given me everything in terms of fame, home, farmhouse or car, but my first love will always be music...the problem is since I have become a big television host now, people have forgotten that I am a singer too. I hardly do 2-3 songs in a year while you will always see me on TV shows. So my body of work in TV industry outweighs my body of work in the music fraternity by a long shot. I was happy till date that people know me as a TV host. It isn't a bad thing because I have been doing TV for the past 18 years. I am 33 years old now and by the grace of god now I have enough resources of my own that I don't need to rely on music labels, or their rubbish contracts that will force me to become their slave for 8 years or so on," he added.